On occasion we come across some great features of our product and recently BloodSTOP® special blood control gauze became the focus of a story about a wounded officer in training.

SWAT paramedic Mark Ocepek was pleasantly surprised to find out how powerful BloodSTOP® is in stopping bleeding when his services were needed by an officer in training. Here’s an excerpt from his story from officer.com:

Officer Ocepek instantly rushed to the aid of his fellow officer with his “trauma bag” — always on him — in tow. After checking the airway, Officer Ocepek’s first order of business was stopping the bleeding. Seeing the severity of the laceration, Officer Ocepek employed a new piece of kit he had received back in November of 2014 — a product called BloodSTOP iX that was being sampled at the SWAT International Roundup, a competition for SWAT teams throughout the country.

Officer Ocepek applied BloodSTOP iX, a water-soluble “hemostatic matrix,” wrapped it in gauze and applied direct pressure. In less than a minute, Ocepek saw extraordinary results. Within 20-30 seconds, the profuse bleeding just stopped — completely. Where there was once flowing blood just about an inch from the officers eye, the wound had been completely sealed by a non-toxic, completely safe gel. Officer Ocepek, who had years of experience at level 1 trauma centers and on the job as a SWAT officer, found the results to be better than any skin glue, other hemostatic agent, and far better than any bandage by itself. (Read the entire story here)

BloodSTOP® transforms into a protective gel that seals the wound and speeds the healing process.

BloodSTOP® acts in less than one minute, easily washes off with water, and can be used for cuts, abrasions, and nosebleeds. Sterile, convenient, and fast, BloodSTOP® is a very effective way to control bleeding.

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We love our pets and we know you do too! They’re great companions and just oh so adorable, but they do need our loving attention to stay that way!

Grooming is essential for keeping our furry ones clean (and let’s face it, everything else like your home and your car too!) and cleaning your pets is also a great way to bond!

To stay clean and dry while grooming, as well as make it easy to access your cleaning accessories, our Pet Grooming Apron will do the trick!

Made of water resistant polyester, this convenient apron has 4 handy pockets where you can keep your tools right at your fingertips! Easy to wear and a clever way to make grooming time easy and dry (for you), you just can’t go wrong with our Pet Grooming Apron.

June is National Adopt-A-Shelter-Cat month and we have quite a few cat lovers and owners here at the offices of Dream Products. In honor of this month and to inspire the adoption of cats who need homes, we wanted to share our staff’s stories. Fair warning: be ready for much cuteness!

Cheryl’s Cats

Cupcake went from a dumpster diving kitty to a pampered princess Thanksgiving 2011. My husband and I saw Cupcake at an adoption event. My husband really didn’t want a kitten, but after holding Cupcake we just couldn’t leave without her. Cupcake currently enjoys long naps and has perfected catching treats with her mouth… no “5 second rule” needed here!

Waffle was one of many kitties born in a backyard behind an apartment complex. Feral cats take a while to trust humans, but momma cat became trusting enough to let staff member Linda hold her kittens so she could bring them indoors and become used to humans. Working with Linda and both of us being cat lovers, it was a great fit for me to bring home a new friend for Cupcake. Waffle was a super cuddly, affectionate kitten and is now 14 lbs of cat to cuddle and spoil. His favorite cat toys have bells and make lots of crinkly sounds.

Linda’s Cats

Meet Zoe! 18 lbs of pure love. When this little girl was born 14 years ago, her home had burned to the ground during a local disastrous fire. I got Zoe through an organization that rescued pets and livestock during disasters. I told the lady I had room for a kitty but did not want a long hair, and orange cats were my least favorite. So, of course, she brought me this teeny little ball of orange long hair! I’m so glad she did! Zoe has brought me 14 years of total joy and unconditional love! Goes to show you don’t always know what you want! As you can see in photo #1 she sometimes doesn’t realize herself just how big she has gotten!

Hi! My name is Abby. One day, about 15 years ago, I was a tiny little three month old kitty that had been dumped at a local animal shelter. One day a lady came in, just to visit kitties as she had recently lost one she loved very much. She did not plan on adopting but I knew when she walked in that I wanted to go home with her, so I started “talking.” Every time she would step away from my cage I would yak up a storm to get her to come back. She ended up taking me home and we’ve lived together, very happily now, for 15 years! I have a sister and brother now too! Not too crazy about them but they make my mom happy so I put up with them! I’m so glad she came and took me out of that tiny little cage at the shelter. I show her every day how much I love and appreciate her for saving me! And I’m STILL quite the “talker”!

Hello – CHAOS here! Yep, that’s my name and boy oh boy is it a fitting one for me! Someone dumped my Cat Mom on the street and I ended up getting adopted by this lady who doesn’t seem to mind if I want to be in the bathroom with her! I fit pretty well in the sink, it’s nice and cool and I can keep an eye on my Human Mom. I’m so happy I have a home, plenty of food, toys and most importantly, someone to love me and someone I can love back! Both my Cat Mom and I live at the new place now. We’ve been fixed and are as happy as we can be with this new arrangement! Thanks for saving us! I will be forever grateful and faithful to my Human Mom!

We are known quite simply as “Gracie and the Wildman.” Gracie is a feral cat who made her way to my back yard, along with her pregnant sister. Eight kittens later, I managed to find homes for all of the kittens except one: Mr. Wildman. I couldn’t seem to catch and tame him like the others. Both mommas were trapped and luckily, Wildman followed his momma into the trap as well! All three were given medical care, fixed and then released into my back yard, where they now are quite happy. Gracie is still feral and I cannot touch her, but she stays in the backyard and greets me at breakfast and dinner time! Wildman decided he needed a little loving in his life and allows me to pet him and scratch his ears. To show their gratitude they steal toys from the neighbor kids at night. They have brought me dolls, pocket pets, slippers and other little objects they could swipe and carry home. I love watching them frolic and play in my backyard!

Reggie’s Cats

Luna and Besos were tiny for their 12 weeks when we met. The boys had been very debilitated, having been found with their Mommy and four brothers and sisters alone in a woodshed. A rescue took them in and nurtured them back to health. Black kittens are always the last to be adopted due to superstition and were the only babies left with Mommy to be adopted after 3 months in the shelter.

Though we met several other kittens and cats that were younger, healthier and friendlier at the center, we couldn’t stop going back to the cage with Luna and Besos. They were a little wild and would not let us touch them. They were so cute and lively, and there was something about them that melted our hearts. Not to mention their Mommy looking at us as if to say, “Please give my babies a good home!!”

We adopted the boys after a long interview. When we were determined we would be suitable parents, had appropriate carriers, were counseled on diet and keeping the babies indoors (indoor cats have a longer life span), we were allowed to take our new family home!

Luna and Besos have been spoiled for 13 years now! They had to learn how to purr! It took them 4 years, and now will not stop if you pet them! They would not let us hold them for over 5 years, but now will sit on our laps and sleep on us every chance they get. We are very lucky to have been adopted by Luna and Besos.

Ellen’s Cat

I adopted Harry on Valentine’s Day, so he is my Sweetheart! The shelter recommended that I keep him in a small space, so I put him in a small room with louver windows. The next day I opened the door, only to find out that he managed to squeeze out of the window!

I went back to the shelter to get his photo that they had for him so I could make flyers. That evening I walked around my area for 2 hours, despite the cold (it was February, after all). As a last resort for that evening, I put 3 or 4 flyers on the front of my house, planning to post them the next day.

About 10 minutes later, as I was sitting in my living room, the sensor light came on and there was Harry, just strolling up my driveway! I carefully opened the door and was able to scoop him up.

I like to keep him in, as I’ve had possums, raccoons, skunks and even coyotes in my area. So, now if he gets out, I just shake dry food and he comes running!

Thanks to our staff members for sharing their cat adoption stories! What’s your story? Let us know in the comments!

Neuropathy is a nerve condition that affects people of all walks of life, and particularly those who suffer with diabetes and related illnesses. If you or a loved one suffer from neuropathy in your feet, relief can be found in our Neuropathy Therapy Socks!

Many people have come to find much needed relief for their neuropathy related foot pain with these specially designed socks. Here’s 5 ways Neuropathy Therapy Socks with built-in gel pads can help relieve painful feet: